This week begins in the Hotel Selu in Cordoba, Andalucia. I went for a short trip there to see the Patio Festival, where many households open up their homes' courtyards to visitors who can admire their fantastic flower displays.
Monday, 9th May.
I woke up early after going to bed early last night. I took a shower, got dressed, and went down for breakfast. It was a buffet-style breakfast, which was quite ordinary, but there was plenty of it. I had a large breakfast because I didn't know when I would be eating next. After a good breakfast, I head out around 10 am to look for some of the patio gardens.
I soon came across a homeless man playing the accordion. He was excellent, so I left him a tip and took a photo. I carried on walking and soon found a patio to look around. I took some photos and left, looking for the next patio to look around. I walked through the winding streets of Cordoba and soon came across another patio to look around. This courtyard was different in that the home had three separate smaller courtyards to look at. It seemed strange to walk through someone's home to get to an inner courtyard to look at their flowers. The homes and gardens were beautiful. I could see myself living there.
Cordoba Patio Festival Photos.
These photos are from my trip to Cordoba in 2022, where I saw the beautifully decorated patios and their flowers. Click on any image to see a larger version and a description of the photo.
It took me about half an hour to find another patio to look around, but this one was not as big as the previous ones, and I continued to look around Cordoba. There were plenty of parks with cool shade, water fountains and places to sit and recover from my exertions. By about 1 pm, I hadn't found any more patios to look around. I had found a map of where the patios were, but I didn't know where I was on the map. I walked through a more run-down area and came out into a built-up industrial area near the river. Next to a busy roundabout, there was a beer tent. I sat down, got a beer and rested. By now, my feet and legs were aching.
I asked the man who served me my beer where I was on the map I had. He studied it carefully and then told me that I had walked clear off the edge of the map and that I was about 3 km away from where I wanted to be, but he did point me in the right direction. I finished my beer, got my breath back, and then headed off across the main road, where I followed the river back towards the historical centre of Cordoba. By about 3 pm, I had finally found my way back to the hotel. I was shattered, and my legs were in a lot of pain, so I went to bed for a few hours.
In the evening, I went back out to find a nice restaurant for a meal. I found a nice restaurant called Casa Rubio and sat outside in the small cobbled street in the historic centre of Cordoba. The food was quite lovely, and the service was good. I had a pork fillet, which the menu told me came from a pig that had only been fed on acorns. I hope the pig enjoyed the acorns. I enjoyed the pig. I had a glass of white wine with my meal to remember my mum. Today would have been her birthday if she had still been alive.
After my meal, I managed to get lost again for a short time. I found my way back and stopped at a lovely ice cream parlour near the hotel. I asked for ice cream and water, but they did not sell drinks. The lady serving me handed me my ice cream and then disappeared. Coming back quickly, she had got me a lovely cool glass of water. I must have looked rougher than I felt. I finally got back to the hotel at about 9 pm. My feet ached, my legs were like concrete pillars, and I was ready for bed. Before going to bed, I massaged some cream into my legs and checked how many steps I had taken on my extended walk. It turns out there was a reason my feet and legs ached. After being very sedentary for 6 months, I walked 16.5 km.
Tuesday, 10th May.
I slept very well last night, but was awake by 7 am. I took a shower and went down to the dining hall for breakfast. After eating my fill at the breakfast buffet, I returned to my room for an hour or so before heading out to walk around the historic old town. I wanted to visit the Mosque of Cordoba or the Cathedral, as it is now.
I made my way down through the cobbled streets to the Cathedral and purchased a ticket, for 11€, to enter and look around. Before going in, I sat down to rest my feet and ate an apple in the courtyard of the Cathedral. When I had eaten my apple, I went into the Cathedral. It was a fantastic building, the only one of its kind in the world. When the Mosque was taken over by the Catholics, instead of destroying it as usually happened, they kept it and built the Cathedral inside it. The stone arches inside are marvellous, and it seemed strange to see all of the Catholic relics, artwork and iconography now installed in the shell of a Mosque.
Cordoba Mosque Photos.
These photos were all taken when I visited the Mosque of Cordoba while in Cordoba for the Patio Festival. Click on any image to see a larger version and a description of the photo.
After leaving the Mosque, I walked to the side of the complex where my friend Bernard had told me there was an excellent restaurant that had a great Menu del Dia. I sat outside the Casa Palacio Bandolero for a while, just watching the world go by before heading in. I noticed several groups of people going in, only to come back out shortly after going in. I assumed they couldn't get a table as they were groups of around 10 to 12 people, but I could hear people complaining about not being able to go in. One Dutch tour guide was telling his group that he would not take anyone there again.
As I was on my own, I decided they might be able to seat me, so I walked in. I found a table straight away, and there were not that many people there. I sat waiting whilst the waiter served people around me, but he completely ignored me. After about half an hour, he finally stopped, and I asked for the Menu del Día. He told me they didn't have it. When I queried this and asked if I could have the Menu del Dia again, I was told I couldn't because I wasn't Spanish, before he quickly walked away and started to pour drinks at the bar. I'm proud to say that instead of causing a scene, I just left to find somewhere else to eat. Now I know why lots of people of all different nationalities were walking in and coming back out again. If this waiter or barman is there through the summer, the place will go bust.
I decided to go to the Mercado Victoria or Victorian market, where I had eaten before. I had some tapas and a quick beer before going back to an ice cream parlour near the hotel for ice cream. After sitting in the sun for a while, I went back to the hotel to sleep. This evening, when I woke, my legs were still very sore, so I walked to a small cafe around the corner, got a couple of slices of pizza and ate them back in the hotel room before going to bed.
Wednesday, 11th May.
I woke up early feeling a bit better after a good night's sleep. I went down for breakfast in the dining room, and as it was my last day, I had Cava and orange juice with my breakfast. It was included with the buffet, so why not? After breakfast, I went back to my room. We only had a few hours before we left, and I didn't want to do any more walking, so I just relaxed in a warm bath before getting ready to leave.
At 11:20 am, we all left the hotel, walked around the corner, where we were picked up by the coach and started our drive home. We stopped off three times on the way back for comfort breaks and food. At around 6:15 pm, I was dropped off at the Arches in Los Narejos. I was going to get a taxi back to my apartment, but both the bars there were closed, and I couldn't ring a taxi as my phone wasn't working again. I began to walk back, pulling my case behind me, but my legs were stiff and sore after the previous days of walking and from being stuck on the coach for so long. My cousin Jill lives not too far away, so I stopped there. She invited me to rest and gave me a cool beer before driving me the last 2 km home in her car. Thank you, Jill.
Once again, I had an early night. It is nice to go away, but it is always nice to sleep in your bed in your own home.
Thursday, 12th May.
I woke up early, had a shower, and then went to the Avatel telephone store. My telephone worked for about 4 days before stopping again whilst I was in Cordoba. The phone worked, but it wasn't getting a signal again; the only way I could connect to the internet or make calls was by logging in to a free WIFI connection. The girl in the shop took my number from me and checked it on the computer. Then she took out my SIM card and put it in her phone. It worked fine on her phone, and she put it back in mine. Amazingly, it worked fine again.
I got a few bits of shopping, then went home, where I spent the rest of the day editing the photos I had taken in Cordoba and working on my website. This evening I intended to watch the Tottenham vs Arsenal football match. At the start of the game, it was all Arsenal, but then, I´m not sure why, Tottenham got a penalty and went one-nil in front. By half-time, Arsenal had had a man sent off and had gone another goal down.
I then sat with my laptop, editing my website during the second half of the game. I got so caught up in what I was doing that I didn't see Tottenham score the third goal and only looked up to see the final result, which was Tottenham 3, Arsenal 0. A terrible result is made worse by several more injuries, meaning Arsenal will struggle to field a strong defence in their last two remaining games.
I finally switched off my laptop and went to bed at about midnight.
Friday, 13th May.
I packed up the parcels I have to return to Amazon this morning: a toilet seat with the wrong fittings and two pairs of shorts that don't fit. I took them to the Correos on my disability scooter. I was disappointed when I got there to find that the only person working was the old dragon who delights in being difficult for anyone. I joined the back of the queue. The lady in front of me, a Spanish lady, was having real problems with the dragon, and she seemed to be taking forever to do what the lady asked. Luckily for me, one of the lovely ladies who work there comes out to help serve the people in the now growing queue, even better for me, I am first up and won't have to be seen by the dragon.
My parcels were soon checked in and sent back to Amazon. I left Correos and then went to the pharmacy to get more drugs. As well as my regular tablets, I got a small bottle of alcohol rub, which a lady I sat next to at breakfast in Cordoba recommended for my leg. When I left the pharmacy, I stopped at a picture framing shop near where I live. A while ago, I was given a large canvas of my favourite golfer, Tiger Woods, by a lady I know who didn't want it. Unfortunately, it had a warped frame and hung crooked on the wall. After being told by the girl who works in the shop that she would have to see it before telling me if they could repair it, I went home, picked up the picture and took it back to the shop. I was delighted when she told me it could be fixed, it would cost around 20€ and can be picked up next week.
I then went to my local supermarket for some milk before I headed home and started working on my website and photos once again.
Saturday, 14th May.
I am awake at about 6:45 this morning. I got myself a coffee before putting on some washing. I always do my washing at the weekend as the electricity is cheaper. When my clothes are finished, I strip the linen from my bed, ready to stick it in the washing machine.
At 10 am, I walked to the town hall where I was leaving to go on a Cultural tour of Los Alcázares. I got there early, so I stopped next door at the El Parrillero Grill house for a coffee and a tostada. As I finished my breakfast, the train pulled up, and my friend Bob, who owned the train, got off it and came to talk to me. At 11 am, I got on the back of the train and took the small tour.
The local town hall ran the tour, and after living here for a total of 10 years, I still found out a few things I didn't know. We stopped off at a few places around the town where we were told about some of Los Alcázare's history. After the tour, my friend Bob, the tour bus driver, gave me a lift home. Mid-afternoon, Bob came back to my house with his barber's hat on and gave me a haircut. Everyone needs a friend like Bob.
This evening, I walked a short distance to the main road so that I could watch this year's Carnival parade pass. It did take a long time. Because of the slow speed at which they move, it takes around 2 hours for a reasonably small parade to go past. That said, it was terrific and I got some great photos.
I was going to go out tonight, but after all of today's excitement, I wore myself out, and I instead collapsed on the sofa and spent the night watching the Eurovision song contest. I think before it started, everybody knew that Ukraine would win, purely because of the attack on them by that psychopathic Vladimir Putin and the Russian war machine. It was great to see the UK entry, Sam Ryder's Space Man, get 2nd place, I think in another year it would have won it easily.
Sunday, 15th May.
Today, I woke early, settled on the computer, and worked on my website all morning. At lunchtime, I set off for Roda on my disability scooter and went to Campbell's bar for Sunday lunch. It is my favourite place to go for Sunday lunch, and this week I had roast lamb with all the trimmings. It was beautiful.
On my way home from lunch, I stopped off at Aldi's and got myself a small pot of my favourite ice cream, pecan flavour. Once home, I settled on the sofa for a few hours, eating my ice cream and watching rubbish on the television.
This evening I walked to La Playa bar to listen to Diana sing. Unfortunately, she has been unwell and was unable to sing, so after a swift pint, I went home. I did learn that a friend of mine had been mugged this week. Two Spanish gipsies mugged him after asking him for a cigarette in the afternoon. On my way home, I stopped at the chirringuito near me for a drink. I was having my drink, and the lady who runs it was telling me that they had been broken into after only opening back up two days ago. They lost all the bottled spirits from the top shelf and a few other bits and pieces that were in the bar.
I heard that the police caught one person for robbery this week. I hope that they catch all of the dirty, miserable bastards that prey on people, their homes and their workplaces, lock them up in a crate, weigh it down and take it out to the Mediterranean Sea, and dump the crate over the side in deep water. Preferably filming it and posting it on social media as a warning to other potential dirty thieving bastards who think it is okay to do this.